عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Saudi Arabia's flynas Receives 2 Airbus A320neo

Nas Aircraft, the Saudi national economic carrier (Middle East)
Nas Aircraft, the Saudi national economic carrier (Middle East)
TT
20
TT

Saudi Arabia's flynas Receives 2 Airbus A320neo

Nas Aircraft, the Saudi national economic carrier (Middle East)
Nas Aircraft, the Saudi national economic carrier (Middle East)

The Saudi budget airline flynas announced Monday that it had acquired two new Airbus A320neo aircraft, representing the third batch of 19 aircraft of the same model scheduled to be received this year.

Flynas signed an agreement with Airbus during the Paris Airshow to purchase 30 new A320neo aircraft as part of the national carrier's plans to increase its fleet.

Saudi Aviation announced that the size of the fleet has increased to 51 aircraft, up 96 percent in two years, compared to its size of 26 aircraft in the first quarter of 2021.

The two new A320neo aircraft arrived from Toulouse, France, and landed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, bringing the number of aircraft delivered by flynas to seven; five are A320neo and two A330.

Flynas CEO Bander al-Mohanna announced that the airline received the second batch of A320neo aircraft in less than a month, within days of signing the agreement to purchase 30 new aircraft.

Mohanna affirmed that the purchase asserts the company's endeavor to support growth with modern and efficient operational capabilities, equipped with the latest technology as part of the strategy for growth and expansion under the slogan "We Connect the World to the Kingdom."

The CEO noted that the increase in the fleet size by adding more A320neo next-generation aircraft indicates the commitment to maintaining the position regionally and globally.

Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization, announced flynas as the 4th Best Low-Cost Airline in the World and kept its leading position as the Best LCC in the Middle East for 2023, for the sixth time in a row.

Last year, flynas' board of directors agreed to increase its orders to 250 new aircraft, making the Saudi carrier the largest budget carrier in the Middle East and North Africa.

The A320neo is a single-aisle aircraft popular with airlines for its fuel efficiency and low operating costs, reinforcing flynas' sustainability and environmental protection.

Flynas currently connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations, with more than 1,500 weekly flights.

Since its establishment in 2007, flynas has transported more than 60 million passengers and aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations, in line with Vision 2030.

Most Viewed

 
Business

Taiwan Defends Trade, Currency Record Ahead of Possible US Tariffs 

Shipping containers are stacked in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, 20 March 2025. (EPA)
Shipping containers are stacked in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, 20 March 2025. (EPA)
TT
20
TT

Taiwan Defends Trade, Currency Record Ahead of Possible US Tariffs 

Shipping containers are stacked in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, 20 March 2025. (EPA)
Shipping containers are stacked in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, 20 March 2025. (EPA)

Taiwan's central bank on Wednesday defended the island's trade and currency record ahead of possible tariffs from US President Donald Trump, saying the high current account surplus was a structural problem and Washington understood that.

Trump officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have said that much of the reciprocal tariff focus, to be announced on April 2, will be on 15 countries that have the highest trade surpluses, which Bessent has referred to as the "Dirty 15."

They did not name these, but according to US Census Bureau data, Taiwan is one of those 15 with the largest trade surpluses with the United States, along with countries like China and South Korea plus the European Union.

In a report to lawmakers, Taiwan's central bank noted that the island's current account surplus last year was 14.3% of GDP.

"It reflects the structural problem of the sharp increase in US demand for Taiwan's technological products and the expansion of our trade surplus with the United States. The US side understands this point of view," the central bank said.

Taiwan runs a large trade surplus with the United States, which surged 83% last year, with the island's exports to the US hitting a record $111.4 billion, driven by demand for high-tech products such as semiconductors, a sector Taiwan dominates.

"As Taiwan's trade surplus with the United States is relatively large, the risk of bilateral trade disputes between Taiwan and the United States must be carefully managed," the central bank said.

Taiwan has previously been put on a foreign exchange "monitoring" list by the US Treasury Department given its trade surplus and outsized current account surplus.

The central bank said its exchange rate policy aims to maintain an "orderly" foreign exchange market and financial stability, and that it never intended to gain an unfair competitive advantage in trade.

It also expressed concern about Trump's frequent economic and trade policy flip-flops and lack of clarity about his plans on tariffs in particular.

"Especially, the impact of the tariff increase policy is the most significant, which is detrimental to the growth of the global economy and may push up inflation," the central bank said.